Automatic cropping shears



June 24, 1930. L. JOHNSON 1,767,763

AUTOMATIC CROPP ING SHEARS Filed April 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Filed April 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR June 24, 1930. JOHNSON 1,767,763

AUTOMATIC CROPPING SHEARS Filed April 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 28 29\ 1 3 32 5, 7 IIIIIII! E 17 9 28 1 1 1 l l i 5 5 I 1 INVENTOR Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LANE JOHNSON, OF INGRAM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED ENGINEERING & FOUNDRY COMPANY, vOF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF IEN N SYLVANIA AUTOMATIC CROPPING SHEARS Application filed April 8, 1926. Serial No. 100,655.

This invention relates to the shearing of metal sheets or plates, and especially to machines known in the art as cropping shears for trimming the ends of sheets or other shapes.

The present invention has for its principal ob ect to provide a cropping shear which is automatically controlled by the movement of a sheet to be trimmed into shearing position thereon.

A. further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a suitable conveyor or the like, an automatic cropping shear so arranged with respect thereto that sheets moving therealon may be received by the machine, trimme and then passed on along the conveyor.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a shear of this kind which may be interposed between two rolling mill units arranged in tandem whereby a sheet or plate emerging from one may be cropped and then automatically moved on to the next.

The nature and advantages of the present invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanylng drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a shear embodying my invention interposed between a pair of rolling mill units;

Figure '2 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the shear and its driving means;

Figure 4 represents a longitudinal vertical sectionthrou h the shear; and

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a manner of effecting automatic control of the shear.

In the drawings, 2 designates the first rolling mill, 3 the second rolling mill, 4 the forward part of a conveyor or transfer table between the units and 5 the rear part of such table. The automatic shear, designated generally as 6, is interposed between parts 4 and 5 of the transfer means and in effect, really constitutes a part thereof.

The shear has a frame 7 with a rearwardly projecting extension 8. The extension 8 has a fixed cross bar 9 thereon which holds the upper shear or cutter 10. The bar is held in place by bolts 11 at each end thereof. The cross bar preferably has its forward upper edge 9 slightly rounded for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.

Pivotally supported on a shaft 12 at the forward end of the frame is table 13 having side flanges 14 on its to and having integral bracing ribs 15 on 1ts under surface. At the rear end of the table is a transverse rib 16 that supports the lower shear or knife 17. The table 13 therefore constitutes the movable lever or carrier for the lower knife or shear.

Pivotally secured to the under side of the table at 18 is the operating link or connection 19 engaging the eccentric 20 of drive shaft 21. The rotation of the drive shaft 21 thus serves to rock the movable sheer. In Figure 4.- the shear is shown in its lowermost position, and from this position it may be raised until the top'of table 13 and the top of cross-rib 16 are substantially flush with the. top of the conveyor or transfer table and the top of bar 9.

The shaft 21 may be driven in any suitable way, but preferably through some means readily adaptable to automatic control. For the purposes of the present invention I have shown an electric motor 22 as the driving means and it is connected 'to shaft 21 through reducing gearing of a conventional type at 24.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated one system of control for this driving means. It constitutes an automatic switch 25 of conventional type in the motor supply circuit. This switch is controlled by the closing of contacts 26 in a control circuit 27. The closing of either of the contacts 26 will start the motor.

The contacts 26 are carried on the rear extension 8 of the machine frame back of and below the cross-bar 9-. In this part of the machine frame is a plate 28 which may be adjusted forwardly by bolts 29 and which may be clamped in place by clamp bolts or nuts 80 engaging in slots 31 in the frame. On this plate are flanges 28 which support slide rods 32. On the forward ends of rods 32 is a plate contact strip 33. Springs 34.- urge the rods and plate 33 forwardly. trol contacts 26 is designated 26 and one of them is carried on each rod 32. The fixed elements of the contacts are supported on the bed but insulated therefrom. 'The'se are l a vertically movable work supporting for designated 26' i i In the operation of the apparatus,asheet passes from between the first rolling mill unit along the conveyor .or transfer means.

and its forward end rides down the inclined table 13 of the shear, this table then being in its lowermost position. The advancing end of the sheet moves between the open shears and againstplate or strip 33, moving it rearwardly to close thecontacts 26'of the motor control circuit, thereby causing the shear to operate.

As the shear moves up, cropping the end of the plate, the plate is elevated; and when the shear reaches, its. upmost position, the

plate will advance over the cross-bar 9 onto the second section of the transfer table and be moved to the second rolling mill unit, or to any point of disposal.

In this manner, successive sheets may be automatically trimmed or cropped, and then moved forward to a succeeding mill unit or point of disposal.

The advantages of the present invention arise out of the provision, of a shear which maybe interposed between two parts of a transfer table or conveyor, or at theend of a transfer table or conveyor section, and which permits ofthe continuous advance of sheets or plates in succession Furtheradvantages arise out of the-provision of an automatic control governed by the plates or sheets to be cropped for rendering the operationv of the shear entirely automatic. The construction of the movable shear arm in the form of a table to receive'the sheets and elevate them whereby the shearing stroke also raises the trimmed sheet to permit of its continued forward movement provides a simple and effective means for facilitating the disposal'of the trimmed sheets.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the construction and operation thereof may be made within the spirit of my invention and' under the scope-of my broader claims.

I claim:

1. A cropping shear comprising an upper cross member, a cutter carried thereby,

The.;movable elementof the con-' movable from below "the other shear memberinto overlapping relation therewith, and

elevating. a sheet from shearing position to a position where it may be passed over said other shear'member. 1

3. A cropping shear including a frame, an upper shear member carried by the frame, a pivoted member in the frame having a second shear member on its outer end for cooperation with the first shear member, the top of said pivoted member providing a work-receiving and supporting surface, and means-for imparting a shearing motion to the pivoted member.

4. A cropping shear including a frame member, a work receiving table p'ivotally supported in the frame, a shear member on the outer end of the table, asecond shear member for cooperation with the first, said table being movable to raise work supported thereon from below the second shear member to a pointwhere'it may pass over the said second shear member, and driving means for the table.

5. The combination with a shear having a vertically movable work support and having upper and lower shears, the latter of which is movable vertically relatively to the other, of driving means for effecting movement of the lower shear and of the work support, and a movable contact element located on the side of the shears opposite the movable work support for engagement by sheets for controlling said driving means.

6. The combination with a conveyor or the like having two separated sections, of a cropping'shear interposed between the sections having cooperating shearing elements formed with cutting portions, the cutting portions of said elements being arranged below the plane of the conveyor sections, and means for elevating a sheared plate to substantially the plane of the conveyor sections. 7 7. The combination with a conveyor or the like having two separated sections, of a cropping shear interposed between the sec tions, said shear having cooperating shearing elements formed with cutting portions, the cutting arranged below the. plane of at least one of the conveyor sections, and a vertically movable work supporting means for elevating cropped sheets to substantially the plane of that conveyor section whose plane is above the cutting portions' 8. The combination with a shear having upper and lower shearing knives, of a work portions of said elements being supportin table connected with the lower shearing nife, driving means for raisin and lowering the lower shearin knife an the table, and a sheet controlle means for rendering the driving means effective.

9. The combination with a, shear havin upper and lower shearing knives, of a wor supporti table connected with the lower shearing nife, driving means for raising and lowering the lower shearing knife and the table, a sheet controlled means for rendering the drivin means effective, a conveyor means for elivering plates or sheets to the work supporting table and a second conveyor means for receivin sheets after the have been sheared and e evated by the tab e.

10. In a cropping shear, relatively movable cutting elements, a pivotally mounted work support cooperating with said cutting elements, said work support being pivotally mounted to swin about a horizontal axis on the side of sai su port remote from the cutting elements, an means effective for producing relative movement between said cutting elements and vertical movement of said work support at predetermined times to shear and move a shape supported thereby, whereby u on completion of the shearing operation t e shape may be passed over the cutting elements.

11. The combination with a conveyor or the like having two separated sections, of a cropping shear interposed between the sections having an upper and a lower cutter, means for producing relative movement of said cutters to brin said cutters into shearing relation below t e plane of the conveyor sections, and a table movable with the lower cutter for elevating a sheared plate to a position for passing over the upper cutter.

12. The combination with a conveyor or the like having two separated sections, of a cropping shear interposed between the sections having a fixed cutter below the plane of the conveyor sect-ions, a movable cutter cooperating with the fixed cutter, and su porting means movable with the movab e cutter for elevating a sheared plate to substantially the plane of the conveyor sections.

In. testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LANE JOHNSON. 

